Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai (The Magnificent Kotobuki)

Across the desolate wilderness, resources are scant and survival is the utmost priority. Essential supplies are delivered through the network of zeppelins, relying on protection from mercenary crews piloting single-engine fighter planes. At odds with pirates and political conflict, these brave aviators provide the strongest guard to stability in such dismal lands.

Kylie—a talented, hotshot pilot—serves with one such crew: the Kotobuki Squadron. Recruited to the group by her childhood friend Emma, her natural aptitude for flight makes her a key member. Armed with their Hayabusa fighter planes, the six-member squadron is hired to protect people, goods, and society as they continue to engage hardships in their complex world.

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Adaptation:	Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai
Spin-off:	Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai Gaiden: Oozora no Harukaze Hikoutai
Alternative version:	Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai Kanzenban

Kawaida, Natsumi
Japanese

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Staff

Arisawa, Ryouya

Producer

Mizushima, Tsutomu

Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Kanbe, Hiroyuki

Episode Director, Storyboard, Assistant Director, Animation Director

Saotome, Yuusaku

Episode Director

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Opening Theme

"Soranone (ソラノネ)" by ZAQ

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Ending Theme

"Tsubasa wo Motsumonotachi (翼を持つ者たち)" by Kirie (Sayumi Suzushiro), Enma (Eri Yukimura), Kate (Sayaka Nakaya), Leona (Asami Seto), Zara (Hibiku Yamamura), Chika (Miyu Tomita)

Reviews

Mar 31, 2019

KANLen09

Recommended

The standout of the anime with its 2D and 3DCGI mix aside, it is still a satisfying show to watch in its entirety.

Yet again, we have another CGDCT ("Cute Girls Doing Cute Things") anime, this time in the reigns of the old 20th Century times when most people are air/sky pirates and doing their own stuff. Everything that we all wanted that encapsulates about being an air pirate, from airship bases to dogfights, it's all here. What more could you ask for this being a sci-fi action-adventure flick of inspirations from real like and even video game adaptations polishing the looks of this anime? Simply ... an underrated gem and it's good.

Going into The Magnificent Kotobuki, this show tells the stories and adventures of the main Kotobuki squadron of girls (Kylie, Reona, Zara, Kate, Chika and Emma) who are bodyguards for hire, for mercenaries that require some extensive help in all forms and sizes. Along with their airship Hagoromo housing their useless captain (Saneatsu) and one hell of a commanding lady (Madame Loulou), they're ready to set off into the uncertain skies.

The first thing I'll require you to turn your senses off to, is the storytelling: it's a very non-linear approach, and that storytelling is based off the endless amount of adventures of the Kotobuki girls in their slick Hayabusa planes that are airworthy of all dogfights in the skies. For one, we get a lot of emphasis on the main girls: Kylie, a pancake-loving girl, once mastering with her mentor Ol' Sab on flying, and she is an excellent pilot with skills keen to the most dedicated. Emma the short, chibi-esque girl, aside from being Kylie's childhood friend, she seems to be the one who holds grudges, but alongside her, another great pilot on the observational side. Reona, the leader/captain of the Kotobuki squadron, the pilot with the most "girl power" with a lot of experiences clocked under her belt. Aside from being the most sensible pilot, she is one that gets to the bottom of the truth and executes her mission without fail. YOU GO GIRLS, girl power!

And, that's basically it for the characters. Oh sorry I almost forgot, the antagonist Isao, once an ace pilot who saved Reona's life. However, in his pragmatic business, whoever views his clown-tricking abilities are those that might look like an insensible joke from a typical person at first, but when he gets serious, he knows how to manipulate people. What an ass.

The VERY startling point is the art and animation. From the same studio who did the disgusting demeanor that is the Berserk sequel (of sorts), GEMBA (with collaborations from WAO World) took an approach that is very unheard of: Mashing both 2D and 3D, and adding in lots of CGI into the mix. What resulted was a very jarring experience to even watch an episode through and not suffer hallucinations. Thank God this isn't another Hand Shakers though.

In my opinion, it was a risk trying to incorporate both 2D support animation (from WAO World) and 3D (main cast of) characters (from GEMBA), but when used and utilized right, it could be something else. One thing I've really liked though is the dogfights, in particular the endless amount of planes' camera motions pertaining to the pilots that the animators wanted to emphasize. It's kinda like the modern A380 with its tail camera perching for passengers to be wowed. Not the greatest of greats, but not bad too.

OST is also decent. In fact, I had a lot of vibes from Crimson Skies (the video game) as the dogfights' music plays throughout the series, it is damn reminiscent of it and largely captures my attention for the good and great amount of dogfights this series has to keep the action pumping between the frenemies. ZAQ's OP is great, an atmospheric throwback to old 1930s style with its aesthetics and music, and the decent ED by the Kotobuki squad to end their missions on a good note.

But then again, my recommendation of this show can only be purged on the minority of fans who like or love the old times of sci-fi sky pirates with its full-on action-adventure modes. Wonky animation aside, this isn't a bad show, it's just that while there's nothing really going for it, at the back of your minds, it will be like: "Just stick till the end of the episode." And that is where the show's magic happens and take hold of you, to go in deep and further.

To me, it is enjoyable, but how about you? Give this one a try, forgo all expectations, and you might like it.

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Mar 31, 2019

JiangHaoyi1979

Recommended

Ya know most of the time we always watch anime were the setting is either in school or in some MMORPG setting of some sort, but every once in while something gives us a breath of fresh air , where something unique and new comes up and thought it doesn't have a good story, it does brings something new to the table and I'm talking about this anime, "Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai" or in English "The Magnificent Kotobuki" and original anime that was really well done with is graphics and 3D art. Its genre is Action, Military, Adventure and it did played well even ...

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Mar 31, 2019

Stark700

Mixed Feelings

Can you imagine living in a world where it’s nothing but a wasteland? The Kotobuki corps sure knows exactly how that kind of life is like. The art of aviation became an essential part of their life. But in such an imperfect world, they can’t be without conflicts.

For a story about aviation, I was fully prepared to be cast into a world where aircrafts is much more than just what they are. The first few episodes immediately dives into a world where we witness the technology and importance of aviation. Technology related to aeronautical practices is a common sight. This came to me as no ... surprise considering the anime advertised itself with many of its promotional material in such ways. What did catch me off guard and I regret to say is that the show could have been so much more.

Anime that takes on aviation as a major theme is also becoming a more popular trend in recent years. It hasn’t taken off quite yet like isekai but from this Winter season alone, we had at least two titles: Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai and Girly Air Force. However, let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai has confidence to be its own show. As an original anime, it doesn’t have to rely on manga material to be faithful or as a continuation from some prequel series. Anime like this isn’t afraid to take risks although it didn’t capitalize on its concepts. Let me just say that the first episodes themselves accomplished little more than becoming a flight simulator. Indeed, I can’t say this enough but when you have a full squad of badass girls as pilots, you know this is going to take off as a sky fueled action show. It doesn’t take long to realize how skilled the main characters are when the first episode shows their abilities to take down hordes of enemy aircrafts. War veteran Zara is the most prominent to notice for her battle experience. However, don’t count out the rest of her squad. Characters like Chika, Kate, Kylie, and Emma are not to be underestimated when they are in their cockpits. Even a little girl like Chika can be described as “dynamite come in little packages”. Throughout the series, they participate in many dogfights that first came as exciting but soon became very predictable. Let’s face it, this anime sells the Kotobuki squad as the aces in the sky. Their feats are easily noticeable for their complex aerial maneuvers. Some episodes even consists of its squad members chasing down their foes in what seems like near impossible scenarios. But if you guessed it, they make it look easy. Now I don’t want to designate the characters as “overpowered” as they certainly do find themselves struggling on occasions. Still, it’s not very fun when the whole show make others look bad after each episode. I’m not going to lie, after watching a good portion of this series convinced me that the Kotobuki squadron is like an end boss video game; only that the they are badass girls.

Overlooking the characters, I think perhaps the show holds some value when it comes to its mysterious world and technology. In fact, the aircrafts themselves makes me wonder how much potential it really has. A weapon is only powerful as its user is what I would think. While the aircrafts aren’t very high standard, they are capable of making dogfights look realistic. The pilots ride the sky and gives a feel of being right there with them in their cockpit. When an aircraft is shot and melts down, it gives the impression of life or death. Being able to depict a war-like feeling almost every episode actually makes the show exciting at times. The downside is that the whole idea can get repetitive fast. Trust me, once you’ve seen one dogfight, it feels like you’ve seen them all.

One of the more interesing aspects of the show is its economic system. This includes how mercenaries are hired such as the Kotobuki squad. Furthermore, there’s monopoly that can’t be overlooked in such an unstable world. I think for what’s worth, the anime manages to makes its world a breeding ground for conflicts. The Kotobuki squad not only have to deal with enemies in the sky but also corruption among corporations. It adds fuel to the already desolate world that makes surviving all the more difficult. Luckily for the Kotobuki members, they don’t have much trouble living their lives but you can just imagine for some of the poorer folks. The World War like atmosphere often puts less fortunate people in jeopardy when they don’t have the resources to fend for themselves. It’s a sad and grim reality.

Making an anime featuring aviation isn’t easy nor is animating aerial dogfights on a consistent basis. The strange combination of 2D and 3D art style can take a bit of time to get used to. In fact, the character models looks like something from a video game in its alpha stage. It reminds me a bit of Apreggio of Blue Steel at times only without the high level technology. When in its 2D form, character designs are pretty normal on most terms although fan service is evident on occasions. Madame Lulu, Zara, and Naomi are a few examples as the show try to make them busty. But on most occasions, the show sells its animation in the sky where the real action takes place. The dynamic quality of the framework and fluid movements (when ignoring the 3D models) makes the action look convincing. It’s just that when you see it so many times, it loses its relevance.

Honestly, this show feels like a flight simulator. The story isn’t very well written despite the immense amount of potential. Characters lack development as the show focuses way too much into the action. It almost feels like playing a video game at times like Battlefield or something when every episode just bites into the action and consumes it without stopping. My impression of the whole show didn’t change at all from the first episode to the end. There’s just so much potential in this anime that eventually became a showcase of mediocrity.

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